Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-22

M ss 81 ihs eSauHlke. except pr
Samfse& whom Jaw a pe,sonjs r.
I chS4i.nt Athem IS meet IN NesS0n
oa the following Monday NJ
I Hnbhafd ard lnysell ~ig.l Mr. Gsrvin,
our stenoQrapher. reached Weston on that
day. DR.. Summers, arr we'd next day, Tues
! day. 1t was only after repeated and ur-
I GENT appeals from Mr.. Hubbard and my
\ self that Dr. Daley and Dr. Barbee could
be induced TO attend. Dr.. Barbee teie-
graphed that he was sick, and DIR. DALEY
4 telegraphed that urgent and important pro
I fessiOnaI engagements required him to be
at home. However, both Of these gentle
men appeared ina day or so, aud remained
10 the end. The committee proceeded TO
make the Investigation required by the
Legislature, and venture the assertion
without the least fear of successful contra
dictiOn that no other committee OF the
West Virginia Legislature ever worked
more industriously, patiently, and inn
partially. We were engaged in the inves-
! tigation almost night and day for twelve or
| fifteen days The evidence taken by us
makes about 9, 300 pages of manuscript.
| We considered that evidence and submitted
our report TO the Legislature with 'such
recommendation" as be deemed pertinent
and proper within the time required.
After instructing Governor Wilson toap-
point q new Board Of Directors for the
Hospital, the Legislature adjourned.
Its not for me ito conjecture" the "un-
/ known inspirations OccasioniDg" it, but
the fact is the late Board of Directors met
| in Weston soon after the adjournment OF
the Legislature and q visit of DIR. Bland to
Charleston, and said BOaTd proceeded
forthwith and without notice before COM
meneiug," and acith closed doors to investi-
gate the special committee. After wrest-
ling with the subject for several days,
secluded as aforesaid, they sent, on the
18th of March,
SPECIAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR,
in which, as a matter OF course, they pro-
DOuneed judgement OF condemnation
against the special committee, and trium-
phantly acquitted DIR. Bland, the beef in
spector, themselves and all concerned OF
anything blamable. In their special re-
port" the gentlemen composing the old
Board of Directors complain piteously Of
the manner in which the committee con-
Quoted the investigation, required of 1t by
the Legislature; yet they did not hesitate,
behind barred and bOlted doors, as they
were, and without giving her any OppOrtu-
nifty for defence, to attack and attempt to
destroy the character of poor absent,
detenSelesS widow woman. After such
action on their part, they are not, appre-
bend, in a position to complain of other
people.
NoteOntent with characterizing the report
OF the Special Committee rs ''unfounded
and unwarranted" they proceed to impugn
the motives of said committee. They say
in their special report 1T Is not for MS
to conjecture motive or to suggest the
blindness of possible prejudice, or I'M
known inspirations OccasioniDg the con-
clusiOn of the committee. Yet we deemit
our duty to characterize it rs unwarranted
in conclusions" / confess, / am some
what at loss to understand, fully, what
the Board meant by the above language.
IL strikes me as somewhat mixed, con-
fused If it was their purpose, however,
to charge or insinuate that the members of
| the Special Committee were aCtuated by
| tatingly pronounce it unqualifedly I'M
true. | believe all the members of that
committee felt kindly toward DR.. Bland.
kROW they dcted so throughout The entire
Investigation. DIR. Bland could not have
been treated with moro kindness and con-
sideratiOn by any other committee, honest
ly probing for the truth. That investi-
CATION was conducted, l verify believe,
! free from political bias and consideration,
and solely with view Of obtaining the
truth and reporting il to the Legislature.
The Board in their special report make
ANOTHER REMARKABLE STATEMENT.
They say: THAT committee proceeded,
chiefly in the investigation Of these mat
tiers rapidly and in haste, without notice
before commencing their Investigation, and
without time or opportunity to repel the
duplicating testimony, which the commit
tee, in haste, took, and upon which they
acted grayely to consider, aud upon which
to find a report, which reflects upon Off
GERS connected with this institution"
The truth is Just the reverse of the above
statement. | commend to the careful con-
sideration of the gentlemen who signed
that special report" the following Ian
guage, which quote from said report: 1T
is always questionable when fact is stated
as such, or when it is stated so incautiOus
| IL, from motive or otherwise, that if it is
not known to be trus rs stated, or to be
inferred, it is as bad by the moral test to
state thatas true which is not known to be
| true, as it is to state that as true which is
known to be false" Several of the afore-
said gentlemen reside in the town of Wes-
| ton, and were there during the investiga-
ton of the committee, and must harFkROrR
/ that the committee did not proceed rap
| idly and in haste, " without notice before
commencing their Investigation, " or "with-
out time or opportunity to rcpel the impli-
eating testimOny"-and the rest of them
could not possibly have known anything
about the facts in this regard, because
| they were not preset during said inveSti-
cation, and surely no truthful citizen of
Weston could have given them such infOr-
nation. am not yet prepared to believe
that either DR.. Bland or his counsel, Mr..
! BrannOn, made such q statement before
! them. The Committee did not sat Nth
closed doors. Its meetings were public,
/ OpSH ana ITtt 70 Ui. True, the COullnlJtee
worked constantly, but not rapidly and
in haste" or without notice commencing
the investigation; nor without time to
repel the duplicating testimony"
The committee preferred that any one
having complaints to make respecting the
management of the hospital, should put
them.in writing, and gave an opportunity
| for
THE FILING OF CHARGES
by any one who might desire to do so.
Charges were fled and Immediately copy
thereof was made aud delivered to DR..
| Bland, and he was informed by me that
reasonable time would be given him to
prepare his defence.
On Tueday morning, February Sth, DR..
| Holt, who filed said charges, informed the
committee that he desired us to examine
Dr. ManOwn that night, because he was
going to leave the next morning, he having
been summoned by telegram to the bed
side of very sick brother. As Chairman
of the committee, promptly informed
| Ill "a n.